Flin Flon (pop. 5,185 in 2016 census; 4,982 in Manitoba and 203 in Saskatchewan) is a mining city in Canada. It is located on a correction line in the boundary of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within Manitoba. Residents thus travel south into Saskatchewan, and north into Manitoba.

The town grew considerably during the 1930s as farmers, who were impoverished by the Great Depression, abandoned their farms and came to work at the mines. The municipality was incorporated on January 1, 1933, and in 1970, the community reached city status. The city has continued to be a mining centre with the development of several mines adding to its industrial base, although its population has been in decline. With a scenic setting and a number of nearby lakes, Flin Flon has also become a moderately popular tourist destination.

The town is named after the fictional character Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin

Origin of the name

The town's name is taken from the lead character in a paperback novel, The Sunless City by J. E. Preston Muddock. Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin piloted a submarine through a bottomless lake where he passed into a strange underground world through a hole lined with gold. A copy of the book was allegedly found and read by prospector Tom Creighton.

When Tom Creighton discovered a high-grade exposure of copper, he thought of the book and called it Flin Flon's mine, and the town that developed around the mine adopted the name. Flin Flon shares with Tarzana, California, the distinction of being named after a character in an adventure novel.

The character of "Flinty", as he is locally known, is of such importance to the identity of the city that the local Chamber of Commerce commissioned the minting of a $3.00 coin which was considered legal tender amongst locally participating retailers during the year following its issue. A statue representing Flinty was designed by cartoonist Al Capp and is one of the points of interest of the city. In 1978, the National Film Board of Canada produced the short documentary Canada Vignettes: Flin Flon about the origin of the city's name.[4]

Geography

Flin Flon in the fall

Lake Athapapuskow, near Bakers Narrows Provincial Park and the airport; the photo was taken in late May, demonstrating that snow is possible (though unlikely) even that late in the year.

Flin Flon straddles the provincial boundary of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city being located in Manitoba. The 2011 census reported 5,363 residents in the Manitoba portion and only 229 in the Saskatchewan section; the Manitoba portion has a land area of 13.88 km2, while the Saskatchewan portion has a land area of 2.37 km2. Due to the zig-zagging nature of the Saskatchewan-Manitoba boundary, the Saskatchewan section of town lies south of the Manitoba section, not west. The city's Main Street crosses the provincial boundary just south of its intersection with Church Street; Hudson Street crosses the provincial boundary between its intersections with 5 Ave E. and Harrison Street, adopting the new name South Hudson Street at the point of crossing; an undeveloped stretch of Channing Drive briefly crosses into Saskatchewan before reentering Manitoba just west of the city's rural Channing neighbourhood.

For Canada Post purposes, residents in the Saskatchewan portion of the city retain the mailing address of Flin Flon, MB and postal codes in Manitoba's R range.[5] For telephone service, however, they are located in Saskatchewan's area code 306, as part of the Creighton telephone exchange, rather than Manitoba's area code 204. For example, a resident in the Saskatchewan section of the city who calls 911 in an emergency will have services dispatched from Creighton rather than Flin Flon, and must instead call a regular phone number to receive immediate city-based service.[6] However, residents in Saskatchewan may use either Saskatchewan's SaskTel or Manitoba's Bell MTS systems for cellular and internet services.[5] Electrical service is received from Manitoba Hydro.[5]

The majority of Flin Flon's surface topology is exposed Canadian Shield bedrock, hence the nickname "the city built on rock". Due to this and climatic factors, agriculture is generally not possible, although grain farming is found 130 kilometres (80 mi) southeast in The Pas, Manitoba.

Climate

Flin Flon experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfb). There is a wide range in seasonal temperatures, with warm summers and bitterly cold winters. Temperatures in January have an average low of −22.9 °C (−9.2 °F) and an average high of −14.7 °C (5.5 °F). Temperatures in July have an average high of 24.1 °C (75.4 °F) and an average low of 13.6 °C (56.5 °F).[7] The highest (reliable)[a] temperature ever recorded in Flin Flon was 101 °F (38.3 °C) on 19 July 1941.[10] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −51 °F (−46.1 °C) on 15 January 1930.[7]

Air

The city operates Flin Flon Airport, which is located southeast of the city. The airport has a single asphaltrunway, and has regular flights to and from Winnipeg through Calm Air. There is also an Airport in nearby Channing from which bush planes depart to fly to truly isolated communities.

Rail

The rail line to Churchill was washed out in June 2017 and remained out of service for over a year when then-owner Omnitrax refused to repair it. The City of Flin Flon purchased shares in One North, one of the partners of purchasing consortium Arctic Gateway Group Limited Partnership. The rail line was subsequently repaired by Cando Rail Services and Paradox Access Solutions.[19]

Economy

The Co-op grocery store, located on South Main Street.

Main employers

Prior to the smelter being closed, seen here with its 251 m chimney, pollution used to be a big concern as indicated in yellow, which were seeded by the aerosols from the copper smelter.

Mining

The economy of Flin Flon is primarily based on copper and zinc mining, solely Hudbay's 777 Mine. Sphalerite concentrate is produced and then treated on-site to produce zinc, while chalcopyrite concentrate is produced and then sold for external copper production, a result of the smelter closure in July 2010.
[21] Although processing of any sulfide material (in this case zinc) usually emits large amounts of sulfur dioxide, the HBM&S plant uses a zinc pressure leaching process which greatly reduces emissions.[22]

Marijuana production

Flin Flon gained international notoriety in 2002 when the Government of Canada awarded a four-year contract to a Saskatoon-based company for the production of medicinal marijuana. Prairie Plant Systems, based in Saskatoon, used an inactive underground copper/zinc drift owned by the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company to produce approximately 400 kilograms of medicinal marijuana annually. The entire operation was situated several hundred metres under Flin Flon for security and climate control reasons.

In 2009, Prairie Plant Systems discontinued operation at the mine due to the ending of their lease and the uncertainty regarding the pending closure of the Trout Lake mine.[23]

Culture

Arts

Flin Flon has an active local arts & culture scene. The Flin Flon Arts Council has been instrumental in building the local arts scene of late, and has also brought high-quality performers, such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, into the community for special events. The R.H. Channing Auditorium in the Flin Flon Community Hall often hosts concerts and theatrical performances, including those produced by the local theatre troupe "Ham Sandwich".

In 2010, the Northern Visual Arts Centre (or NorVA) was established as a studio and gallery space for local visual artists. NorVA frequently hosts workshops, concerts and other community arts-based events.

Every two years, the Flin Flon Community Choir, directed by Crystal Kolt, performs a musical production for the community. In 2013, the Flin Flon Community Choir presented Chicago: The Musical, to great acclaim. Past performances have included Beauty and the Beast, Fiddler on the Roof, and Bombertown, among many others.

Culture Days, a national festival celebrating arts and culture, is a popular event in Flin Flon. Culture Days is held on the last weekend of September each year. In 2013, Flin Flon ranked seventh in the country for the number of free events (including concerts, workshops, artist talks and kids' activities) offered to community members and visitors.

Television in Flin Flon began in June 1962 with the opening of CBC Television station CBWBT channel 10. The station broadcast kine recordings, sent to the transmitter from CBWT Winnipeg. On March 1, 1969, the province-wide microwave system replaced the kine recordings originating at CBWT, giving citizens of Flin Flon access to live television.[25] The repeater (along with Radio-Canada repeater CBWFT-2 channel 3) closed down July 31, 2012, due to the CBC's closure of its rebroadcasters.[26]

Law and government

Municipal

Flin Flon City Hall

The operations of the City of Flin Flon are administered by the city council, whose members set the policies. The city council consists of a mayor and six councillors who are elected and serve a term of four years. The current council was elected on October 24, 2018, and consists of the following members:

^In June and July 1929, a maximum temperature of 98 °F (36.7 °C) and 104 °F (40.0 °C) respectively were recorded, however these all-time high monthly values appear to be incorrect when compared to other nearby climate stations such as The Pas[8][9] and other stations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.